Jim Seaman – web log

Today Evel Knievel visited Raleigh. He came here with his son, Robby Knievel who was performing for an auto show at the fairgrounds. Robby was supposed to do a motorcycle jump yesterday but it was postponed at the last minute due to gusty winds. So today Gabino and I stood out in the cold winds for the second day in a row to try to catch his performance.

The jump was made over a bunch of military vehicles – I don’t think I ever heard them say how wide the gap between ramps was but I would guess it was around 120 feet. I had expected them to cancel the show again today due to the winds but they delayed the show an hour and went on with it when the winds died down for a few minutes.

That’s right, you are wrong! Nothing new there. But the word is offensive to me and others! And the sad part is that you know exactly what the word is and now you are just trying to cover up the real you! You should be ashamed.

It was one year ago that this joke of case hit the news all over the country. Now, the rape charges against Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans have been dropped – District Attorney Mike Nifong has removed himself from the case (he headed off the NC Attorney General’s office from removing him). Special prosecutors from the AG’s office are however still evaluating charges of kidnapping and sexual offense against the original defendants.

The Duke lacrosse team is playing again. The DA (Mike Nifong) has been brought up on several ethics charges by the NC Bar Association. The accuser, Crystal Gail Mangum (Alias: Janette Rivers), had a baby in December – the father is unknown but was not any of the Lacrosse players who were all DNA tested. The second dancer in the Duke rape case has as much as said that the accuser made up the whole thing.

And life goes on. Damn I’m glad I don’t live in Durham!

This week I almost succumbed to the lure of the great outdoors as represented by salesmen of recreation vehicles. I had seriously entertained buying one!

After sitting down and figuring the costs of operation, the cost of spaces at RV parks, the expected lifetime of the vehicle and the amount of use I would get out of it, the idea became an obvious bad investment!

And not the one that you may be thinking of … I stepped out of that one many years ago! The closet I am referring to is the one where I have been hiding my feelings about religion. It is a subject that I have been fuming over for many years now and I’m tired of being silent.

For the most part, mankind has given up his beliefs in ghosts, in witchcraft, in leprechauns and in mythical beasts like dragons and unicorns. All of these have been relegated to the category of “superstitions”. The ancient gods of Mount Olympus in Greece (Zeus, Apollo, Hades and Poseidon) – The gods of Rome (Apollo, Cupid, Jupiter, Mars and Venus) – The gods of the Norsemen (Thor, Odin, and Loki). All of these were gods – just as real as the god of the Jews, Christians and Muslims – and due just as much (or little) respect and adulation.

If you have bothered to read this far you have likely figured out that the closet to which I referred is the atheism closet. The place where everyone hides their doubts about religion. And we ALL have them! I’m not about to try to write a treatise on this subject and my beliefs, it wouldn’t serve any good purpose. Suffice it to say, I accept the label of “atheist”.
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